


Book of Gorgons

by BleedingHeart911



Category: Greek Mythology, Monster High
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-09-20 00:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9467204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleedingHeart911/pseuds/BleedingHeart911
Summary: Centered around the gorgon family, the relations of Deuce and Viperine.





	1. Chapter 1

975 BC, Greece

The land of the greatest monsters the world has ever known. At least, in their very strong opinion. The Mother Gaia formed Earth for monsters and humans to live side by side. In the beginning they were all family. However, siblings argue and because they’re family everything gets more personal than need be. Talking leads to arguing and arguing becomes slicing off heads and other limbs.

“Great Lord Ares, I invite you to drink with me!” Stheno yelled to the sky as she stood on the pile of dead humans. The gorgon general crushed the soldier’s helmet in her boulder size hand, her long tongue licked the open eye of her enemy’s decapitated face. Stheno’s velvety black snakes were red against the fires of smoked flesh and irons. All had forgotten if the snakes were reddish before the war.

Medusa had a harpy ally over her shoulders. The gorgon had her yellow-to-reddish snakes tied up in two buns.

“We are winning.” The harpy, Jensis, said with shaky breath.

“Many are dead, so I suppose you’re right.” Medusa said, eyes exposed to miles of carnage.

In the Monsters’ headquarter temple, on the top the of second highest mountain in Greece, Stheno carried three centaurs on her shoulders. She brought them to heal the unicorn room.

Euryale her sister, and healing aid, walked with the unicorns.

“They may not survive the night.” Euryale said as the unicorns healed the gaps in her sister’s flesh.

“Then let them drink.” Stheno said, “Let them laugh before they meet Hades. They’ll have epics to tell him.”

Euryale shook her head. “You enjoy this bloodshed too much, sister.”

The gorgon with the diamond birthmark over her left eye looked past her sister, “None of this is entertainment, Euryale.”

The younger gorgon looked at the scars as thick as the snakes on her sister’s head. She was past crying, her eyes dry as sand.

“You spoke to the human king about a truce, he offered us half of Greece.” Euryale reminded, she pushed her blue-to-redish snakes behind her ears.

Stheno pulled a tooth out of her mouth, it was not her own. “Out kind outnumber the humans, we and the future brew will need more than half a lake or half a leg of lamb.”

Euryale sighed. “Sense and love has left Greece to wither. Even if family was possible I wouldn’t…”

Stheno put her large hand under her thin sister’s chin. “Everything is possible.”

“You mean anything.” Euryale said, putting her clean hands on Stheno’s bruised fingers.

The General exhaled wearily. “I try with you, sister, really I do.”

“And that is the little love left to see.” Euryale yelped when her sister’s dark snakes nipped at her blue serpents.

Euryale stood up and brushed at her toga. “Where is the babe?”

Stheno rolled her eyes. “In Poseidon’s temple.”

“Very good of her. Seeking help.” Euryale nodded.

“That’s not all she’s seeking.” Stheno muttered. She was amused when Euryale slapped her hand for inciting a hint of the scandal about their baby sister and the Sea God.

Poseidon’s temple was the second to lowest temple in Greece. It stood on the shoreline. The lowest of all was Hades’ in a cavern. The pool in the temple was in the middle, it shined the ripples of ocean pattern against the pillars. Medusa felt she was under the sea.

“Poseidon, God of the Oceans, I beseech you.” Medusa kneeled while she prayed.

A sound did not pass before she felt a tunic brush against her nose.

“Hello, my love.” Poseidon said, looking down at her.

Medusa smiled and slowly stood up, her lips and snakes’ tongues brushing lightly up against his green body until she stood on her toes.

“Hello, you.” She said, her snakes slithered through his welcoming beard like a nest. Poseidon liked that and embraced her tightly.

“Battle has not hardened you, woman, though it has brought color to your stunning eyes.” Poseidon said as his thumb went under her eyes. Medusa’s eyes were silver and reflected the colors of the scenery. She was hatched that way, unlike her sisters who eyes reflect the colors of their serpents respectively.

“Battle has stained my eyes, Poseidon. It’s barbaric and I beg for peace again.” Medusa said.

Poseidon laughed, “The end will come soon enough, Medusa.”

“The end of decency and honor? No, Greece needs to be still again. Such as, such as a river.” Medusa said, knowing he liked water metaphors.

“Rivers are wild, my silly youth.” Poseidon said, touching her nose with his finger.

Medusa ignored her annoyance, “River by civilization are calm and deep, with knowledge like libraries and forums, and…theatre.”

Poseidon did not hold in his chuckling. Medusa knew her passion was more mature than her speech but her peoples’ needs outweighed her dignity.

“Hush, Sea Cow, and give me the power to end the war!” The gorgon pushed away her lover and put her hands on her hips.

Poseidon stopped laughing and put a hand over his stomach. “I am not a Sea Cow.” He whined.

“No, you’re a god. The God of the Seas, I saw on a map that the seas cover more of the earth than the land.” Medusa said, she added a bit more admiration than she actually felt.

“Mighty I am.” Poseidon said, staring out at his oceans.

“Large and in charge,” Medusa said, her hands made circles on his stomach and arm muscles. “You can create a great compromise to help finish this war. I don’t ask to kill the humans, just to silence the need for killing.”

Poseidon pondered a way to meet her request while keeping his deal with the humans that also beseeched him for help.

“My sisters are scared that love has left Greece, Poseidon.” She grabbed the chin hiding in the beard. She put her thumb where the cleft was. “Let us show them love still exists.”

He let the gorgon pull him into a kiss. He embraced her with both arms. The waves of the sea crashed harsher against the shore.

Medusa tried to sneak into the headquarters the next morning. She tip toed with her sandals in hand.

“You walk in shame, sister!” Euryale stated loudly so that Medusa’s shoulders shot straight up.

Medusa turned around, smiled, then threw her sandals towards her older sister.

Euryale saw the sandals and dodged them, an odd occurrence because Medusa had a good throwing arm. Medusa was wearing a bandage over her eyes. The middle hatched gorgon gasped and covered her mouth.

“What did he do to you?” Euryale asked as she ran to her sister.

Medusa smirked, “Well first he raised me over his head then I landed-“

Euryale covered Medusa’s mouth, “He is married, my babe.”

The younger gorgon pushed her sister’s hands away. “I am not.”

“That is the problem!” Euryale whispered.

“No, my sheltered sister, the problem is we are at war with a stubborn and stupid species and I am going to end it.” Medusa stated as walked to the caferatium. She walked the wrong direction so her sister grabbed her arm and lead her towards food.

“How is a blind woman going to defeat anyone?” Euryale asked.

“I am not blind, Yuri.” Medusa asked. She looked smug while chomping down on figs.

The night Medusa petrified the human army was the most terrifying night of the Gorgons’ lives. The eldest gorgon sliced and diced every attempted blow from the enemy as her youngest sister ran to the human palace. Medusa’s vision turned every single thing in her sight to stone. She knew the terror on their permanent faces would haunt her each night that followed after. She had seen time stop and restart during battles for months to almost years by then so she was half as mortified as other soldiers. Seeing the destruction freeze mid-battle was a new nightmare. Medusa walked through regardless, heart in her stomach as she saw the human palace turn grey.

In an hour Stheno, with Medusa and some cyclopes behind her, signed a treaty with the human king. The monsters owned eighty-percent of Greece, they said they’d allow human visits to their rivers and farms as long as there was fair commerce and social respect. The cyclopses didn’t see the boy who grabbed the closed eye Medusa from behind and put a sword to her neck.

Stheno jumped at her sister’s scream and turned to see her being choked by a boy not wearing armor. Blood peaked form her neck so the cyclops growled.

“Have Greece, beasts, this is personal!” The boy yelled.

The human king didn’t stand higher than the furious Stheno, not even if he wanted to, when he begged, “Perseus, release that monster!”

Medusa sighed in annoyance before kicking Perseus in the knee, breaking it backwards. She took up his sword as he fell down.

“You are Poseidon’s son. He speaks fondly of you.” Medusa said with her eyes closed.

“Monster, you are why father never answers me! You are the plague of our family.” Perseus yelled.

He was clutching not his knee but his teeth, Medusa understood he was trying to be tough.

“Your father rules the seas, Perseus, he has other responsibilities than you. I am sorry but there is more to this life than your comforts.” Medusa spoke to her General. “You already signed in ink?”

Stheno and the king nodded.

“Yes then?” Medusa asked again.

“For true, your grace.” The king said.

Medusa nodded, lowered the sword and put her arm out for a cyclops to lead her away. The male cyclops did, the female growled at Perseus.

General Stheno nodded to the king then walked past Peruses without a word.

The rain fell on Greece for many days after. There were floods but nothing the monsters couldn’t handle as they built their new homes.

Medusa was leaning against a tree that was struck in half by lightning. She had a long scar across her neck. Poseidon arrived with a kiss to the scar, Medusa struck his cheek.

“Woman, it is I!” Poseidon said to the scarf wrapped face.

“Oh, really?” Medusa asked before slapping his chest.

“What is this?” Poseidon demanded, pushing her roughly away.

“You answered prayers of our enemy humans! You gave them this rain as a strike against us.” Medusa explained as she stood up, her hair standing on ends.

“I am the God of Greece, not of only monsters.” Poseidon said.

“For pita’s sake, I know; I knew that before.” Medusa admitted. “I knew all of that and didn’t care.”

“Wait, are you mad at me for having an open love life?” Poseidon asked.

Medusa scoffed, “No, I will never care about that. I’m angry that you don’t care for my people!”

Poseidon put his chest against Medusa, “I have sons and daughters amongst your people! I would flood this land and give only them boats. Everything on this earth is at my mercy. Remember that, woman!”

Medusa furiously took off her scarf and stared at Poseidon. He turned to stone but still docilely grinned at her.

“A reason I gave you this power in your vision instead of a weapon was to keep your beautiful eyes a secret from everyone but me.” Stone-Poseidon said as he cupped her face. “I care for you, Medusa.”

The hate and anger in Medusa could’ve melt iron and welded her own trident to stab into his chubby stomach. She was aware she couldn’t hurt him with the army of the world. The option she took was to fuck the rock that was him against the tree to release her tension.

“Why can’t we make babies?” Euryale asked her sisters one day at lunch. Years had passed since the war and they were on their vineyard.

“Who needs babies, we have the sheep.” Stheno said as she poured milk from a cup into a lambs’ mouth.

“I have a lot of love to give, and I want to give it to children who look like me!” Euryale said.

Medusa gently stroked the scar at her neck. “Children, I find, are overrated. But, sister, if you want them why not beseech Hera?”

Euryale’s eyes bulged. “Sister, you are skipping over Aphrodite! I’m asking the Goddess of Romance to give my children a father!”

Medusa wore glass spectacles over her eyes as they rolled.

Stheno laughed, “Men are very tall children, grab one that walks by and make it work.”

Euryale grimaced, “Both of you are disheartening! I have met every man in Greece, twice, and I cannot stand a single one. Sisters,” Euryale grabbed the back of both their hands. “It pains me to say this, but I am leaving home to travel the East.”

The gorgon with the blue birthmarks on her hands waited a beat to hear their protests.

“Alright then, be safe.” Her older sister said then kissed her three-eyed lamb.

“Paint us many pictures of your travels.” Her younger sister said while sipping her wine.

Euryale stood up with and threw her napkin on her plate. “Neither of you have ever cared for me!”

“Is she correct, Stheno?” Medusa asked with ease.

“Yes, I believe she is.” Stheno said while burping the lamb.

The middle sister made a yelping noise then stomped into their home.

“I hope she finds perspective." Medusa said. She finished her meal and unrolled her scroll. "Tsk, Archimedes made another error. I swear to Zeus."

"Medusa, no can read your script." Stheno said as she rocked the lamb to sleep. 

Centuries later Medusa thought of Stheno's comment and wrote her a letter anyway. She was sitting in a tent during a sandstorm in Egypt. A decade after southern Mt. Vesuvius erupted Medusa had lost her friend Jenesis, who couldn't outfly the evil soot and fire. The gorgon had been planning to travel anyway when she heard of Egypt's glamour and love of serpents. Hot and strange the place she found. Medusa learned how to be charming with her words. She visited her sister, Euryale, in India. Euryale had met a nice Naga and Medusa wrote to Stheno about the wedding.

Medusa dipped and climbed in the Amazon. She had the help of the kindest, hairiest Bigfoots throughout the jungle. As they played tricks on new comers, Medusa and Stheno were reunited. Stheno had joined the Spaniard Francesca Franco's army and lived as co-dictator.

"Do you think Euryale is happy?" Medusa asked as they drank coffee on a Spanish ship.

"She shaved her head." Stheno had snakeheads at her ankles. Medusa shrugged.

Medusa shrugged. "It's over with me and Enrique. He's a good Yacumama but I can't stay in this village. It's nice but nice can be dull."

"I hear you, Maddsee, but I can see settling in quiet place with some dragons." Stheno said, pouring a dark liquid in with her coffee.

Medusa saw her big sister getting old. Stheno was strong as a python and stubborn as a Caledonian boar but she wasn't fast and started to make cracking noises when she landed from cliff jumping. They could not die but the immortal Gorgons were slowly getting older. The sisters had all made deals with the Greek Gods during the war; Euryale pleaded with Aphrodite, Stheno bargained with Ares and Medusa danced with Poseidon. 

"You were thinking of me?" Poseidon asked her when Stheno left to find them fresh game.

"Yes. You're out of your comfort zone." Medusa stated, she saw a man that resembled her lover Enrique but with mer-folk qualities around his scales. On his green pecs was a scar/tattoo of a trident.

"I've traveled across the seas to find you, Medusa," Poseidon said as he kissed her fingers, "My love is like the water, it changes but can never be destroyed."

Medusa cocked her head to the side, her yellow snakes shaking their heads. "Poseidon I'm sorry to hurt you but I never really loved you."

The clouds began to rumble with thunder. "What was that?"

"I loved parts of you but I never wanted you all to myself." Medusa admitted, she felt better than predicted to tell him her feelings.

"You're mad at me? Is that why we haven't spoken in weeks?" Poseidon asked, trying to keep the storm from becoming a typhoon.

Medusa chuckled. "We haven't spoken in centuries! I understand, time is malleable to you but I've felt the separation and I've liked it."

"Woman, this is bad bait." Poseidon said, the wind began to lift trees.

"It's not bait, Poseidon, I'm telling you I'm over us and you can find a new love." Medusa said, wiping the leaves from her hair.

The Sea God evaporated into the sky which had become a hurricane of disastrous proportion. Days later Medusa awoke on an island with zero monsters or humans and thousands of pit vipers. Medusa had felt incredible delight in befriending every single viper. In a month's time the vipers had agreed to string themselves together to create a bridge for her to walk back to the main islands.

"That man, that bastard god, if I never see him again- OHH!" Medusa said as she peeled her sunburnt skin off. She was in a sailboat with her new beau Dr. Moreau. At least, she thought they could be paramours until she saw him look at Dr. Boolittle on shore. The two men looked at one another like there was nothing else in the world worth distraction. Medusa was just happy to have an iced drink.


	2. Sunny Side Eggs

India, 1978

Medusa and Stheno were walking through the Sanskirt-Sadhu family garden.

"I guess weirder things have happened. Look at the Boo World." Stheno said, holding a diaper-filled-basket under her arm.

"They call it Ascarica now." Medusa said, carrying a pink-plush-frog in her arms. "Still, it's weird."

In the living room there were many Nagas huddled around the expecting couple. Euryale was glowing and bouncing. She screamed when she saw her sisters.

"You're finally here!" She said, hugging them with her slender arms.

"We wouldn't miss this miracle for the world." Medusa said, she looked down at her sister's flat stomach. "It's already out?"

"Silly, silly spinster. Just kidding." Euryale pulled Medusa to the crib covered with bows. Inside was a sapphire blue egg the size of a Naga baby.

"Wow, that is...pretty?" Stheno offered. She rarely felt short but the in-laws were tall on their tails.

Euryale continued to hop, her husband Myanmar put his long hands on her shoulders to stop the bouncing. He was smiling from ear-hole to ear-hole.

"We're all very happy, my Rasmalai." Myanmar said, "I was fine for years to just have you. I'm happier to finally have a baby, the first of many."

Euryale reached up to pull her husband's face down, "A dozen at least."

Medusa resisted rolling her eyes as the rest of the family went 'awww'.

The eldest Gorgon looked at the buffet. A small granny Naga came up to her and put food on her plate. Stheno liked the pile but had to ask,

"Where in here is the meat?"

"Oh, we're vegetarians." The granny said. 

Stheno did not comprehend the words. "Can you repeat that?"

"We don't eat the flesh of animals." The granny explained.

Stheno covered her mouth then asked, "I'm sorry, please say that again slower."

"We do not eat meat." The granny said, holding up a plate.

"Those words don't go in that order."

The other Nagas and the Gorgons began to mumble. Euryale and Myanmar looked into the crib; their egg was hatching. Medusa prayed to the elephant-man-statue in the room that her new family member came out healthy and good.

The family heard a shell crack and Euryale squealed. Medusa's heart broke and swelled as her sister held the baby-blue naga with the hooded face.

"A girl!" Euryale said, tears running down her face as she wiped the slime off her daughter.

"Kraitti," Myanmar said with glee, "After Mama."

The granny with Stheno laughed and went to hug Euryale. All the Nagas swarmed the new baby, she began to hiss and whine. Euryale felt like the world was finally kind. She loved her new family very much and wanted her baby to meet her old family.

Euryale called for her sisters. They squeezed through the in-laws and found their niece.

"Gods dammit." Stheno said as she sniffed and sucked in her feelings, letting only a single tear streak down.

Medusa kissed her sister's bald head. "She is amazing, Yuri." 

The Gorgons spat a bit on the baby's head. Myanmar spoke for his family when he asked, "Excuse me?"

Euryale giggled, "It's a Greek thing, dear. It means they love her."

"If you say so." Myanmar said, the tip of this tail in his daughter's tiny grasp.

"Yeah we say so, and we ask: Where. Is. The meat?" Stheno asked.

In the years that went by Stheno had learned to bring her own roasted lamb. She stuffed it in bread and gave it to the the little ghouls who were rebelling against their dad's ideals.

"It's my turn, Kraitti!" Tai-pan said, the grey snakes on her head hissed in annoyance.

"Get lost, Tai!" Kraitti said told her sister as they fought over the cd-player.

"Should I stop them?" Medusa asked her pre-teen niece, Daboia, who had her bespectacled eyes on the tv. The two sat on couch and both shrugged. Medusa then heard arguing from the other room; the grown-ups weren't getting along. 

"Did she really have to choose between having children and having a husband?" Medusa asked Stheno in Barcelgroana.

"There's no choice between blood and romance." Stheno said as they walked the Greek vineyard. 

"It's more than romance, they were married. They were suppose to grow old together." Medusa said sadly.

Stheno laughed, "Career-ghoul Medusa wanted sissy to play house."

"I guess you're right. My ghouls don't need him around, they'll be better off with their mom, you and me. We'll raise them." Medusa said and waited for Stheno to agree.

"Stheno?" Medusa wondered why her sister wouldn't look her in the sunglasses.

Stheno grumbled then cursed under her breathe, "I'm making a kid."

Medusa stopped walking. "In a lab?"

The oldest Gorgon dropped her shoulders, "No, it's in my gut. My dusty old belly."

Medusa made a pouty face. Stheno frowned and muttered something about a bartender.

"Oh big sis!" Medusa hugged her, "This is incredible! I'll be honest it's a shock."

"Who you telling?" Stheno chuckled, "If it doesn't come out with a walker I'll take two poops and die."

Medusa's laughing became crying. "Why is this happening to us now? We've been alive for thousands of years and now when we're finally starting to look crow-eyed we're popping out eggs. The gods are stupid."

"Hey, hey." Stheno pulled her youngest sister's head up. "The gods are stupid, we aren't. Leather tits or not I'm gonna be somebody's mom. And you're gonna help me be all...girly. Or atleast get me half way before we tell Euryale and she screams the sun away."

Medusa wiped the granite tears from her eyes and said, "Okay."

It was the year 2000. Medusa was in Seattle. She had become a popular artist and had donated one of her sculptures to a children's hospital. She was in a cafe and looking at mailed photos of her family. The Nagas nieces were in gradschool, all three. Euryale was spending her post-divorce life on a mountain top. Stheno was at the Spanish Vineyard with two gorgeous little girls, five-year-old Crotaline and two-year-old Viperine.  
Since Crotaline was hatched, Medusa had tried to become pregnant herself. Despite mad science adventures and various afternoon-delights she had no success. She considered making a deal with the gods or even finding a genie but Medusa decided since her sisters had their miracles by natural causes then it was just a game of luck. A heartbreaking game she tried to ignore as she found herself dating an intern from a friend's gallery.

He was a blonde werewolf from California. Lean, fit and Medusa found him very cute. Her sisters teased her that he was the same age as Tai-Pan but she didn't care. The pup's naivety kept her from thinking about her grown-up problems.

"Maddy, my fine-fizz-ine Maddy." The pup said as he drooled into his coffee cup. "Like lemon-lime in the summer-time."

"Are you breaking up with me, Skipper?" Medusa asked.

"Wow, you're like a mind-reader, PYT." Skipper said, grinned a cute canine grin. She waited and he turned his baseball cap to the side. "Okay, on the table, I think we want different stuff like in the nine-yards, but I really had fun, ghoul."

Medusa grinned, "I had a lot of fun too, Skip. Let's just leave as friends."

"Keen gears. Okay. Take care of yourself." He gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She watched him jump on his bicycle and ride away.

Now who's going to distract me from my bills, job mistakes and car problems? Medusa wondered.

"Hello, dime-piece, is this seat taken?"

Medusa looked up to see a silver-haired human in a green suit with a trident pen on his lapel. 

"Poseidon, the cherry on top." Medusa said with a sarcastic grin.

"May I just say," The Sea God said while taking the seat across from her, "You look amazing for someone who was just dumped by a teenager."

"He was in his twenties, and so was I when you came around, Grandpa." Medusa said, less annoyed that she had someone to tease just then.

"You never seemed that young to me. Magnificence is ageless and you were always very adult when with me." Poseidon said, grinning at her round sunglasses.

"Buzz off, Poseidon, I'm still mad at you about Brazil." Medusa said, ordering another brownie.

"Why? You out-witted me." The God said, dripping honey from his lips.

Medusa shook her head and continued to grin. "You never cared about my intelligence."

"You never cared about mine, you attacked it constantly. You scared me." Poseidon said, gripping his suit pocket.

"And you stretched me out, for better and worse." Medusa said, chewing on her fudgy brownie. "Tiny brain, tinier heart, but the bitch of it all was-"

"What I gave to the whales in symbol of me?" Poseidon offered.

Medusa stood up. "I give up, you can't even let me give you the easiest compliment." 

She stomped out on her heels then turned to tell him, "I will never love you."

Poseidon made an unhappy smirk. "Yeah, probably, but what will sharing a coffee with me hurt?" 

"Push!" Stheno said as Medusa labored through delivering her emerald egg to the world.

In the waiting room, a lizard man sat with his two daughters. His sister-in-law, though not by marriage exactly, Euryale was pacing the floor. Daboia had a heavy text book and folder in her curled tail.

"Ma, please stop, Aunt Maddy's going to be fine." Daboia asked as she pushed back her frizzy hair.

"Says the one daughter that didn't go to med school." Euryale stopped, "I'm sorry, Malaki, learning history is a very noble cause."

"Uh-huh." Daboia said, she then heard her sisters screeching down the halls.

"No I will not take a hint from your mid-wife friend! As if!" Tai-Pan said as she slithered through the halls.

"Fine, just kill your patients before they get to be my patients." Kraitti said as she tried to slither faster.

Euryale put her hands together and blew kisses to her older ghouls. "Thank you for coming, doctors."

"Ma, please don't jinx me." Tai-Pan asked.

"Don't talk to Ma like that." Kraitti said, slapping the back of her sister's head.

Euryale rubbed her temples, "Girls, let's just all sit and wait for the new Gorgon Girl to get here."

The ghouls looked at the ceiling and chewed gum.

"Now." Euryale said, then watched them slither into chairs. Stheno walked out into the hall, everyone stood up.

"The egg is safe and shinning healthy." Stheno said to the relived gasps.

"Are you ready ms.Gorgon?" The red-horned doctor asked with a scalpel in her hand.

Medusa was sweaty as she held the green egg. "I don't know."

"Well when you're ready, I can-"

A crack came from the middle of the egg. Medusa's fear became excitement as she turned the egg over and began pulling apart the shell to get to her baby. She saw a little face and heard little cooing noises. She remembered every day of pain in her life and then felt double all the joy. When the egg was open and the baby was out she blinked in confusion then smiled in joy.

"She looks very strong, she...she's a boy." The doctor stated.

"Yeah, I have a boy." Medusa said, laughing like the entire world was funny and good for the first time.

Euryale poked her head through the doors. "Well?"

"It's all great, Yuri. It's a boy."

Euryale's jaw dropped, Stheno and the girls pushed through.

"Yeah, that's a boy." Stheno said, rubbing her sister's exhausted snakes.

"But, we don't... we have a son finally!" Euryale said trying to take the baby from his mother.

Tai-Pan, held back her mother but smiled at her cousin. "He's really cute."

The lizard man held up Viperine and whispered, "That's your new family member, mi vida."

Medusa put the baby's cheek to her own. "My sweet, sweet boy."

The baby shakily opened his eyes. Daboia noticed he turned Medusa's blanket to stone. Medusa noticed the weight and stiffness then asked her family members to look for baby-size sunglasses in the hospital gift shop. She didn't care what color but they had to fit. Medusa gently covered his eyes and kissed his three tiny green snakes.


	3. Bells

2016, New Salem

Medusa stood in her son's clothing-covered room, the smell was awful. In Deuce's bed were three small-ish dragons and a sleeping Deuce. It was almost noon, Medusa remembered when her son was small she'd kiss him awake. As a teenager she tried to decided between pushing him out of bed or throwing hot, soapy, water. Instead she whistled, waking up the dragons and chasing a rumbling in the sheets.

"Hey, Mom. What's up?" Deuce yawned.

"The sun, hours ago. You've slept half the day away." Medusa said, her heel tapping on the floor.

Deuce put on his sunglasses and checked his phone, "Yeah, personal best."

Medusa raised her sunglasses and pointed to her closed eyes. "Do you know what these are, boy?"

"Laugh lines?" Deuce said, rubbing his dragon, Barbeque, behind the wings.

"Don't be cute. These are wrinkles. I never had wrinkles before I had you. You are draining me, boy, draining me." Medusa said, hands on her face.

Her son picked up the dragon Cassandra and put her before his face. "You still look half-full to me, Maddy."

Medusa made an exasperated noise, the snakes on her head twirling in annoyance. She exhaled and smiled. "Cleo's been waiting downstairs."

Cassandra, Barbeque and Pink Fred scrambled out of the bed as Deuce ran into the bathroom. "Now you tell me!"

"Well I would've told you when she got here but we were having the most delightful conversation about the Trans-Parasitic Partnerships and that chocolate-jello cake you made last week. She agrees with me, it's good but you can do better." Medusa called from outside his bathroom.

"Mom, space." Deuce called with toothpaste in his mouth.

"I'm your mother, we shared a body-"

She heard him start to sing off-key in an attempt to drown her out. Medusa walked downstairs to see Cleo, the mummy princess Deuce was dating, texting on her phone. She was wearing tight yet stylish pantsuit and raised her bored eyes to ask,

"Another cup as we wait, Maddy?" 

"Cleo, my sweetheart, I have to love that boy but you can walk off any time." Medusa said, pouring coffee into the mugs.

"He knows when to walk behind me and when besides me, it's rare to find someone that respectful and that shredded in the same package." Cleo said, smirking over her cup rim.

Medusa nodded then saw her son jump over the staircase and land next to Cleo.

"Hey, Babe." Deuce said as he held a hand out for her to grab and stand up.

"Finally, let's go. They've started without out but it's actually still fashionable to be late, see you soon, Maddy." Cleo said as she and Medusa kissed one another's cheek.

Medusa was about to kiss her son's cheek when he dived to grab a bagel, "Later, Moms."

"Deuce, wear a jacket. It's chilly today." Medusa said, holding up a jacket of his.

"It's not that bad." Deuce said.

Cleo shivered against the open door's wind. "Deuce, grab a jacket."

"On it." Deuce took a jacket off a rack, put it on, then put an arm around Cleo. They left Medusa holding the rejected jacket to her heart.

"For her he'll wear new clothes and brush his snakes, I'm lucky if he doesn't leave food on the couch. I don't mean crumbs, I mean bags of snacks and half finished drinks." Medusa said while on a Skullpe chat with her sisters. Stheno was drinking a beer and Euryale was doing yoga. Medusa was typing an academic criticism on the use of Greek architecture for an online magazine; she had more to talk about regarding her son.

"I hear you, sister, they're getting too close. I say we introduce our boy to a new hobby- I think he'd be a marvelous welder." Euryale suggested as she reached for the grass.

Medusa made a choked sound, "Are you teasing me? I want Cleo to move in with us!"

Stheno laughed, Euryale's thin torso filled her frame.

"But, but, but, Medusa!" Euryale fretted.

"Claws off, Yuri, a good taco changes a boy for the better." Stheno said, leaning back in her rocking chair on her porch.

"No, no, no, no, no! It's the end when they find careers and their other-halves. All my girls did, and while yes I adore my grandchildren- my hearts and souls- I miss yelling at my own babies." Euryale explained, her chin in view.

"Euryale, the boy broke my heart when he hit puberty. Now he makes me sick. I'm happiest when I see him with Cleo, he can be her man, at least." Medusa said, biting her lips. "I swear, when I see them sit together it's so easy to imagine a tiny mixture of a person, or three, in the middle."

"They are teenagers!" Euryale tried to counteract.

"Actually despite the bod, Cleo is older than me and I love that!" Medusa said, her snakes grinning.

"Decade-difference isn't that weird these days, Vipey brought a vampire home. It was a girl, and she was extremely polite and old-fashion and asked me for Vipey's hand in marriage. I told her to shut up and ask Vipey herself and she did so now they are." Stheno said, throwing the bottle behind her.

Stheno then heard her sisters' screaming with questions.

"Oh yeah, Vipey's getting married to her boss-girlfriend." Stheno said, then she turned over to ask her old-man, "Hey Ro, where we suppose to start telling people?!"

The yelling from the screen was getting pitchy so Stheno closed the box on the Icoffin4.

At Monster High's Student Disembodied Committee Meeting Cleo was signing papers with her committee members about bringing in more humane traps to catch the bats in the gym ceiling.

"Deuce, do you think I was too hard on Slo Mo?" Cleo asked as they sat in the fold-out chairs.

"I mean, yeah, but he needs a nudge once in a while. And, Babe, you never hold back when push needs shove." Deuce said, hugging her from behind her seat.

"I am a gift to this world, wait a minute." The mummy said as she held up her ringing phone. "Hi Maddy, we- what? What?! OH MY RA! For reals!? Oh yes! Oh really? Well course! No, Maddy you are." Cleo giggled then made kissing noises to her phone.

She grabbed Deuce's arm and dragged him out to the car her Daddy sent to pick her up from school. The guards locked the doors after the couple got inside. "Deuce! Viperine is getting married!" Cleo said, throwing her arms up to touch the car's ceiling.

"Wow, to Veronica? That's amaze-balls." Deuce said, "Wait, as family we should call her Elissabat, right?"

"Yes! She'll be your cousin-in-law! AHHH! But they asked to keep it quiet, they just want a special, secret, modestly small ceremony away from the Booparazzi and only with immediate family." Cleo explained.

Deuce chuckled, "My family is never quiet, believe me. Yo, hold up, be my wedding date?"

"Oh hells yes, I have to be first on this scoop! Spectra will hate me!" Cleo had her most wicked grin on, Deuce thought it made her eyes shimmer.

"Right, and meet my family." Deuce said, pulling her closer by the waist.

Cleo's face went from excited, concerned, shortly worried to warm, hopefilled and excited again. She grabbed Deuce's chin in her hand. "They'd better get ready."


	4. Watergun

Cleo didn't like telling her friends they couldn't come with her to Petros Islands. Clawdeen had drawn them new outfits just for the sunny vacation. The mummy princess liked the designs very much. She also liked respecting the Gorgons' privacy. She blew her friends kisses goodbye as she boarded the boat that zoomed across the Afrantic Sea to reach Petros Islands. They arrived at night, the white pillars shined against the moon. They were high on the mountain and the stairs were carved into the cliffs.

Medusa hadn't seen her home since Cryptmass, her snakes took deep breathes in. One long serpent watched her son carry the bags behind her while another caught Cleo before she fell down. The rocks fell to the crashing waves, the water looked angry. Cleo petted the helpful hair of Medusa.

"Thank you, Maddy." She let Medusa switch sides with her as they continued walking. "This is great aerobics but please tell me they'll be cucumber-water when we get there."

Medusa chuckled, "Sweetheart, there's a feast waiting!"

"Oh goody, they knew I was coming." Cleo said, putting a hand over her diamond dimple.

Cleo, Medusa and Deuce reached the opening gate. The garden before the marble home was stabbed with stone statues, fruiting trees and shields. Medusa was about to say they had a feast every night but she heard rustle. Medusa put a hand in front of Cleo while Deuce grinned and grabbed a shield stuck in the ground. They heard a cocking noise, Deuce tossed a shield to Medusa and they blocked shots of waters from hitting them.

"We'll never take you alive!" A young ghoul yelled from tree. Cleo saw she was a very furry little snake girl.

"Me first!" Deuce said, cocking his own watergun then dropped the luggage.

"You had that the whole time?" Cleo asked, she grabbed his collar before he sped off, "Hold up, are you choosing fun and games over me?"

Deuce looked at his ghoulfriend, looked back at the shaking trees then slumped. "Let's see the fam."

Medusa watched her son drop his watergun over his shoulder. As he put an arm around Cleo Medusa's snakes twirled into heart shapes.

The mummy heard yelling inside the home, she kept her back straight.

Deuce kissed her head and said, "I promise they'll love you."

Medusa leaned her head on Deuce's, "Not as much as Deuce or me, but they'll adore you, Cleo."

"Of course, who doesn't?" Cleo said as she walked towards to the nest of vipers.

Over the bushes and trees smelled like amazing food, Cleo didn't see it but she saw a crowd of monsters' backs. There was a very large grill and at least three picnic tables. On the ride over Cleo learned Deuce had naga cousins on his aunt Euryale's side of the family. They were very tall on their tales and very hippy. His aunt Stheno was with a lizardman so those cousins had legs and textured skin. One of those cousins was Viperine, the engaged gorgon, who was in the center of the family gathering on a patio sofa with Elissabat.

The vampire was smiling pretty as a silent picture. It was a stage smile because the gorgons around her were screaming advice to the couple.

"My clinic can help you make your first five children, I know excellent donors." said Tai-Pan said, she had wavy snakes with blue spots over her scales.

"No, I know better ones, little cousin." Kraitti, the cobra-hooded gorgon-naga said while holding a plate of loukomades. "But you have to cushion yourself if you're carry anyone any time soon, sweetie."

"Ghouls, please, this is between us-" Viperine tried to begin to say before her lips were covered with the tip of bitten snake tail.

"Viperine, don't bother, listen to the advice and do what you will with it." Daboia, who's hair stood up in all directions, said while pinching her cousin's pink snakes.

Viperine rolled her eyes and gave an apologetic look to her fiancé Elissabat continued to smile, even when a preteen naga-gorgon surprised them from behind. "Did you really put your evil twin in a basement? I know it was a movie but my friend wants confirmation."

Medusa looked over her nieces, great-nieces and in-laws to see her big sister looming over grilled vegetables. Up close Medusa saw Euryale was holding a pink jumper to her face.

"How are you holding up, Yuri?" Medusa asked while they hugged.

"This still smells like her," Euryale said while holding Viperine's childhood jumper. "It's like she outgrew it yesterday."

Medusa smelled took a wiff then patted her sister's shaved head, "I remember she wore it almost every day in the summer."

"Oh sister, my heart is one punch away from shattering." Euryale said, her eyes behind the round reading glasses.

Medusa smiled then did a fox-whistle to get the family's attention. All eyes turned to focus on the Ascaricans.

"Ladies and leeches, may I present with great joy and honor the one and only Cleo De Nile." Medusa gestured to Cleo, who struck a pose and added,

"Deuce's ghoulfriend." Cleo said in a raspy voice as she patted Deuce's chest.

There was a collective gasp before they slithered and swarmed Cleo. The princess smiled and said, "One at a time, ladies, let's work together on this."

Medusa sat next to Viperine and let out a sigh. "You're too beautiful, stop it this instant!"

"Tia Maddy, thank you for calling them off. They were eating us alive." Viperine said while stroking her Elissabat's wavy black hair.

"Miss Von Vamp, can I ask why you'd want to join this circus?" Medusa asked while she examined the ghoul in the lace.

Her fangs are clean as her fancy clothes but does that make her as lovely as Cleo or good enough for Viperine, Medusa wondered.

Elissabat exhaled then looked at her hippy-dressed love, "I'd go to the moon for this one."

Viperine gave a small smile, "We can still elope."

"The circus will hunt you down." Medusa said while grabbing maridha on a plate. "Where's Stheno?"

Elissabat stiffened up as if she was in a coffin. Viperine's snakes began to slither to her love's purple lips.

"Mama's getting the lamb." Viperine told her aunt. "She's also been very quiet since we told her."

Medusa smirked, "She can't keep her mouth shut for long. Until then, eat."

Scared and stuffed Elissabat looked at Viperine who rolled her eyes, "They always say that."

Deuce shifted to the side of the swarm. His cousin Tai-Pan slithered over to talk to her baby-boy cousin.

"Dude!" Tai-Pan said with her arms open.

"Dude." Deuce said while hugging her.

Tai-Pan shook her head, "I can coil completely around you! You're scales and bone, Baby, you need food."

Deuce nodded, "Dude, I know, where's Aunt E ?"

"Ma!" Tai-Pan yelled over the crowd to his aunt. "Look who's here."

"And look who he brought! Deucey, where did you get this gorgeous chiqueta?" Viperine's father asked, his red eyes bright with joy.

The male gorgon smirked as his ghoulfriend who was being fawned over. Cleo smiled at the sky while her ego swelled to cover the island. Euryale watched her only nephew look at Cleo like she was Atlas holding the planet.

"Aunt E, I'd like you to meet someone very important, I-" Deuce was about to say before seeing his aunt begin to whine.

Euryale's eyes began to water, she twisted the jumper in her hands and ran into the arms of Kraitti.

"Aww Ma." Tai-Pan said sympathetically then gently slapped the back of Deuce's head.

"What was that?" Deuce asked while rubbing his head.

"Ya-ya is crying because you brought your pretty princess over the same weekend Viperine is marrying a lesbian." Said the tweleve-year-old-naga Nicki, her hair was pulled back in a copper ponytail and shaking their heads.

"So she's crying tears of joy." Cleo stated while the naga-troll fusions examined her manicured hands and jewelry.

Trumpeting turned the heads of the whole family. Crotaline, Viperine's older sister, had a dead 300-lb lamb slung over her shoulders. Viperine had a pink diamond birthmark on her forehead. Crotaline had a maroon birthmark covering the left side of her face. Their mother, Stheno, was rubbing her stained hands in anticipation.

"I give the eyeballs to the one who helps Auntie Stheno skin this beast for the grill." Stheno said, folding her mighty arms.

The children raised their arms and slithered towards the lamb.

Viperine nudged Elissabat, "Come, Bae, let's help Mama with that lamb."

"Oh, um, my Darling, I haven't seen fresh blood since Chicaghoul in the 40s. I'd only be a bother to them." Elissabat said while crossing her legs.

The vampire was about to offer an alternative when two red eyes caught her attention. Crotaline's eyes took away her will and she felt herself numbly lost into a pleasant vortex.

"I'll see how I can be of assistance." Elissabat said as she walked towards the lamb, a knife in her hands.

"I thought vampires could do that too." Medusa mused out loud.

"Auntie Mads, you should know better. Not every vampire has the same powers." Crotaline's pink-eyed sister tsked the mesmerizing method.

"Then tell what her powers are," Medusa nudged her niece, "Come on, details."

Viperine's snakes went to cover her blush.

"I think this is going to be a very nice weekend." Cleo said as Deuce put their luggage on a bed. They were in Deuce's room; it was a mess with surfer posters and strange sporting things.

"Yeah right." The deflated Deuce said.

The mummy rubbed his leg with the tip of her shoe. "Tell Cleo what's wrong."

"I was looking forward to you meeting my Aunt Yuri, instead she's like miserable." Deuce said as Cleo rubbed his green snakes.

"Sweetie, look at me. I'm a lot to take in. Plus putting a wedding together over night must be tough for her. Let's give her a minute to breathe." Cleo said while massaging his shoulders.

"You're right. Dude, I'm happy you're here." Deuce said as he melted in her lap. Cleo was sitting on the bed and Deuce was leaning against it while sitting on the floor.

"And I always will be. Except, why are my bags and your bags in the same room?" The mummy princess asked.

In Medusa's room she was teaching her great-niece Zeta who to tie their type of hair. Medusa's long and thick snakes criss-crossed themselves into two big braids. Zeta's hair was crossing over but she lost concentration and began giggling when they went got dizzy. Medusa took Zeta in her arms as she answered the knock on the door. Cleo stood in the doorway with Deuce holding her bags.

"Care for another roommate?" Cleo asked.

"You don't like-like each other anymore?" Zeta asked, her troll ears waited to hear their answer.

"We like-like one another very much, but I need grown-up ghoul-time." Cleo explained to the fuzzy little monster.

Medusa handed Zeta to Deuce. Deuce thought the pierced star earrings were a cute edition to the big ghoul she was becoming.

"Wanna build a fort?" Deuce asked his second-cousin as they left.

Medusa closed the door, "I can't wait to hear what they hiss about you tomorrow. Not spending the night with that boy."

"Maddy, I'm trying to be a charming guest. I need sleep for that. And a clean sink." Cleo said as she took her night-kit to Medusa's bathroom.

"Okay, okay. But Cleo, honey, everyone in this house changed that boy's diapers and they all want details about how he's grown up since then." Medusa explained as she moved pillows around in the bed.

Cleo made a small shriek then stuck her head out. "Maddy! Shouldn't we be gossiping about Viperine and Elissabat?"

"Yes, well, this generation is a reach for me. Back in my day I would've settled for someone who chewed with their mouth closed. These days they're dating elites." Medusa said as she applied moisturizer to her snakes' faces.


	5. thirty-two hours

The Petros Island bedroom Viperine stayed in was pink and had dreamcatchers hanging in the windows. Crotalinae had a friend from Arizona who made them. She slept next to a window so the sun would warm her as soon as heavenly possible. She stirred and woke up to find three second-cousins sleeping next to her. Before they went to sleep the ghouls taught her their dances from watching Casta Fierce. She told them how she and Elissabat met Fierce during an award show and the ghouls asked her a million questions.

Nicki and Zoey cuddled close to window and their tales laid over her legs. Marianne, the adopted cyclops, laid on the other side under Viperine's arm. Hanging upside Elissabat looked at the ease Viperine had with children.

Elissabat walked the ceiling until she was above Viperine's head. Her hair contained in a night cap. She reached down to stroke her love's nose. The gorgon opened her slit-pupil eyes and smiled.

"Good morning." Elissabat whispered, she and Viperine entangled their fingers. Slowly they rubbed their palms together and played with their fingers.

Viperine tried to sit up but the ghouls were too much at peace. "Good Morning, Mrs. Stoker-Gorgon."

"Only a little while longer." Elissabat said, she turned into smoke then appeared on the side of the bed. She reached down to kiss Viperine but met a scaly arm instead.

"Mi sol, I have morning breath." Viperine said, her snakes waking up to kiss Elissabat instead.

"And my face is bare of color but you're not running away." Elissabat said.

Without makeup her eyelids were blue and her lips a very light violet. Anyone who didn't know better about vampires would think she just got out of a grave.

"I'm trapped under ghoul power." Viperine said with a very quiet chuckle.

The movie star said nothing and Viperine knew why. They were avoiding a topic that was pressing to the Gorgons' expectations and conflicting with their own wants.

"They're very pretty." Elissabat said while stroking Marianne's periwinkle mammal hair.

"And funny, I can't wait to tell Fierce how they copy her." Viperine said. "They don't know what her song lyrics mean but love them anyway."

Elissabat wanted the family to like her, but she also wanted to push the children away so she could snuggled with her bride. She leaned down and kissed Viperine, their fangs slid against each other. The 'ooows' from the children separated the couple. They looked down to see all the little ghouls giggling and rolling in the bed.

The blonde gorgon rolled her eyes and grabbed all three in a hug. Elissabat stepped back and smiled awkwardly. She didn't let the children to touch her. The vampire didn't want to be a snob but didn't know where they've been before.

The Gorgons were eating breakfast on the patio. Stheno was talking with Medusa, Rogelio and Kraitti about the wedding plans. Nymphs were excellent landscape architects and florists but they were funny about payment. The service could be counted on but for Kraitti's wedding they asked for a video of a satyr bring pranked. They did the deed but then they owed the satyr's family. They hoped this time the Nymphs would just take a check.

Cleo sat with the family then noticed one of little ghouls was crossing her arms instead of eating. The mummy princess asked why Ellie wouldn't eat. Ellie revealed she had snakes for hands and that picking things up were hard for her. Usually her mom or dad would help but she was tired of her sisters calling her helpless. She tried squeezing the fork between the heads, the fork wouldn't do. Cleo sat next to the ghoul and told her how she'd seen Medusa and Deuce twist around objects with their special appendages. Ellie said her snakes were grumpies. The mummy told her Ellie was in charge and Ellie needed to be firm.

Deuce grinned while Cleo talked to Ellie. He turned his head when three more ghouls screamed coming into table. He grinned wider when Viperine and Elissabat walked out in their robes.

"Sup V-Card." Deuce said to his betrothed cousin. "I've been wanting to say..."

Viperine's snakes hissed at him. "Get the jokes out of your system now."

"I'm really happy for you, V-Card, and I think Elissabat is beyond lucky." Deuce said, hand over his heart.

Viperine couldn't believe her ears. "D-Bag, you finally grew up."

"I mean, until the head trauma clears up and she comes to her senses." Deuce said while eating his fluffy Androt froutlia omelet.

Viperine curled her hands and serpents. "Cleo should not let your leash get this far. You might get lost in a closet."

"The closet would be fine compared to getting lost in the Camp Boo arena." Deuce countered.

"That was on purpose!" Viperine said while poking her cousin's nose.

Cleo clapped when Ellie's hands twisted around her fork and knife. She was shaky but glowing. The princess was proud, then she looked up to see her boyfriend and his cousin-bride headlocking each other over the breakfast table. The moms and dads were telling their kids to eat and learn from Viperine's example of marrying someone nice and well off.

"Take it back!" Viperine said as her snakes chewed on Deuce's arm, his snakes chewed on her face.

"You." Deuce said, which began the contest of who could say 'you' more times.

They felt a furry little critter squeeze between them. Viperine recognized the bat. The purple bat morphed between them into Elissabat who pushed them apart. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at her taller bride.

"And I thought you were mature enough to be someone's wife." Elissabat stated, her voice the same from when she played an axe murderer on a miniseries.

"Mi sol," Viperine continued with begging Spanish to her bride.

Deuce laughed before his ear was tugged down.

"In front of the family on my first trip. Seriously!" Cleo stated, her eyes had a cold fire.

"Babe, please." Deuce pleaded.

Daboia and Nia, her only daughter, watched them from across the table.

"I bet Deuce gets on his knees before Viperine." Nai said, pushing back her black and white striped snakes. Her father was a river monster.

"I dunno, Vipey wants the ring, she might go first. Bet the farm?" Daboia asked.

"I bet this toast." Nia said, holding up a big syrupy piece of toast.

The vampire turned her head from Viperine as the gorgon parted her ringlets. Viperine spoke sweet words in Spanish. Words that made Elissabat blush the lightest lavender.

"The fudge you say!" Stheno said loudly to silence all the chatting of the table. Kraitti put her hand hands and tail over the two closest kids' ears.

"Mama," Viperine said in soothingly.

"You two aren't fudging? Why the fudge am I paying for a wedding?" Stheno asked, her wild snakes darted out like fire.

"General, I respect your opinion-"

"Fudge opinions!" Stheno said pointing to the couple. "If I die without grandkids I am haunting!"

"Auntie Stheno, ghosts can't haunt anymore." Mandy said while texting on her phone.

Stheno swiped against the air, "Are monsters allowed to do anything anymore?"

Deuce was on his knees as Cleo told him, "I like this honesty."

Behind Cleo Euryale stood with a tray of cheeses. She chewed her lips and turned around back into the kitchen. Her nephew followed into the kitchen. She heard him come into the kitchen and began to stir a pudding.

"Need help, Aunt E?" Deuce asked, "I love helping the best chef in the family. Don't tell mom."

Euryale ignored him and went to the enormous fridge.

"Aunt Yuri, come on." Deuce slumped and walked towards her.

His aunt carried some potatoes out. "Girls, come help Ya-ya!"

"Euryale, was I suppose to come here and dance with Nia?" Deuce asked, he walked around the kitchen island and she walked away from him. Zeta and Nicki walked into the room.

"This weekend is about love, we're suppose to be celebrating." The young manster pleaded even when Euryale was spitting affectionately in Zeta and Nicki's hair.

"There are my good babies." Euryale said before giving cooking knives to her grandkids. They began peeling the potatoes.

"Was I suppose to keep Cleo a secret?" Deuce asked with slight desperation.

The shaved head gorgon stopped on her flats. She turned around, her eyes large and wet. "I would never want secrets between us."

"Aunt E, I'll be honest I don't know what you want."

"You're always honest, it's one of your best qualities." Euryale said, she walked over and touched his face. "Moro mou, knowing you're whipped and happy is all I ever dreamed for you. The joy is so overwhelming I have to cry about it. And every bucket of salt water is me being happy about you." Euryale began to cry again.

"Hey, hey." Deuce hugged his aunt. "If that's all it is then you're a saint, Aunt E. Hat and all."

"So at what time do we walk down the aisle?" Elissabat asked whilst dipping her bread in honey, across from the table spilled milk came from a trollish child. Stheno fought against Kraitti about the time she bought the family a pool and how that would never be a reason for Stheno to stop cursing.

"I was thinking of tomorrow night at sunset. What do you think, mi vida?" Rogelio asked from hiding under the table.

"I need some air." Viperine said. She left the screaming table and insane realitves. In the garden the Nymphs were growing yellow roses on the trees and a carpet out of white leaves.

Viperine leaned on a tree. Without a whisper of warning Crotalinae appeared.

"I love the family but the I sometimes wish they'd eat each other." Viperine said, looking at the water. "I've been trying to convince Lissy about adopting but this nuthouse will turn her towards pets. I don't need pets."

Crotalinae patted her sister's shoulder. "Pat, pat."

"I see what you mean, I need to share my family life with Lissy. Her family isn't coming to our wedding. They don't want to be a part of her life. They don't want to meet me." The gorgon sadly said. "Loco they are and they always come when you need them."

Back at the patio Kraitti had apologized to her aunt. Stheno then put her attention on her future in-law. No one could protect Elissabat. On a cliffside Stheno sat on a creaking rocking chair she carved from a baobo tree during her service for Queen Sheba. On her side Elissabat sat on a blanket. Stheno unhinged a wine bottle with her hand and gave it to the vampire.

"You wanna talk?" Stheno asked while drinking down a bottle of old red.

Elissabat was the first of the Vampire Council to start drinking wine. It broke the old rules but made get-togethers with new monsters enjoyable.

"No ma'am." Elissabat said. Stheno didn't like polite chit-chat or weather talk.

Stheno cracked her neck and she drank her wine from the bottle. Elissabat was impressed with the wine, she would've liked it from simply being made by her future monster-in-law but it was actually very earthy, almost like iron. After four small sips she spoke,

"I ran away from my family to become an actress. They- they said it was tawdry! They've never seen a single picture! They never saw me on stage! I was great on stage." Elissabat said, it was the first time she was with a semi-friendly Stheno should she would catch this bat in the belfry.

Stheno looked at her with a blank expression but she was listening.

"Thank you for raising my Bae. Viperine is the most compassionate and loving and understanding and caring monster I've ever known." Elissabat said while laying back on the blanket. "I'm not like that."

"Yeah, she gets that all from her Dad. Good lizard-man." Stheno said. "From me she got the 'late gene'."

"That's how we met, she was rushing to get to Fionna Mac Cumhaill when she came into my dressing room. I had a light dab of color on already but she asked what would I like done. I thought it was the director making a last minute change, never worked with him again, and one thing led to another. Later she said she was a die-easy fan and wanted to take the opportunity to help me even if being late for her real job got her fired. I looked stunning on film. Even at her most anxious she kept a cool stiff upper lip." Elissabat said with dreamy purple eyes.

"Good." Stheno said, not knowing what else to say. She gave her daughter her blessing because she thought her second hatched was smart and strong enough to make her own big decisions.

"She is good. Absolutely good and yet those puttering vagabonds from my council refuse to recognize my marriage as a legitimate union. She is my wife just as much as their spouses are theirs even if she isn't a vampire. She has those cute little fangs, what more do they want in appearance?" Elissabat complained.

The sound of cracking glass had Elissabat turn to Stheno. The huge snake woman had a mean expression on her face.

"You want to make a place for your wife?" Stheno asked, when she stood Elissabat thought she was looking a cruise ship from the dock.

"You bet your vineyard I would." The Vampire Queen said, she stood shakily and slammed the glass to the ground. It did not break, with her boot she kicked it off the ledge.

The oldest Gorgon snapped one shoulder then the other. "Get on my boat."

"You're doing what?" Viperine asked as her mother sat in the sail boat.

Elissabat was standing in the boat while holding hands with Viperine, who stood on the dock.

"My darling, think of this as my bachelorette party. A party where your mother and I thrash some sense into the Vampire Council." Elissabat giggled, she wore two swords over her shoulders.

"Thrashing is the last resort, we're gonna talk it out first." Stheno said, she held no weapon and that sacred her daughter.

"Mama, do you have your pills? You need to take them tonight before the witching hour." Viperine said.

Stheno waved her arm and Viperine took that as a yes.

"Alright, whatever brings the family together, mi amor." Viperine said as they kissed 'farwell'.

"Sweet, excuse me, hunbun." Medusa said as she stepped into the boat.

"Tia Maddy?" Viperine asked, then shook her head, "Oh go ahead. Come back soon."

The engaged couple kissed again. Elissabat felt her life essence drain from her soul in the most wonderful way. She cupped Viperine's long scaled hands.

"Viperine, we have thirty-two hours before the wedding." Elissabat said, her hand stroked Viperine's blonde wig. A pink snake curled around her pale fingers. "And for the rest of our unlives we will side by side."

The gothic vamp leaned in for another kiss but Viperine raised her head.

"Come back first." The younger gorgon said to her beloved and her family members. Stheno waved to her second-hatched. Medusa waved more excitedly while Elissabat slowly turned her body to sit in the sailboat.

Over the greenish water they went. Viperine sighed. A scream from the uphill sent her racing. She got to the tables where decorated with glasses and floating candles. On a fluffy black chair Rogelio, her father, was crying. Tai-Pan, her three children and Deuce were standing near him. The children were patting their uncle.

"Papa?" The albino gorgon asked the tan lizard man.

"Mi amor, the harpist we hired has died." Rogelio explained, his red eyes soaked with tears.

"Oh, couldn't she still play?" Viperine asked, it was most possible in the monster world.

"Actually she's canceled, he's just very disappointed." Tai-Pan explained, "But the good news is we have a replacement who's willing to work for nothing."

Her blue tail pointed to Cleo on the harp. The mummy princess was playing a lovely tune. Viperine laced her hands and asked, "Does she do requests?"

"Oh yeah," Deuce said, "Babe, try that one that TP talked about."

Cleo grinned and switched to a new melody. To show off she switched back and forth between songs, never breaking the rhythm. And I am playing for someone very special... Maybe more than some one, Cleo thought as she peaked at the Gorgons' adoring eyes.


	6. Mini Golf

The Gorgons' sailboat took a shortcut through the River Styxx to get to Transylvania. The whole voyage would take two hours and three minutes, according to Medusa's FatesTravel App. She brought an insulated cooler-bag for snacks and drinks. Medusa knew her sister didn't like chit-chat with a stranger, fiance to her daughter or otherwise. Stheno took over the boating rigs while the other monsters sat. Elissabat was gaining brownie points for going on a quest with the Gorgons but Medusa wanted to know more about the very quiet vampire who kept out of the trashy magazines tabloids. Medusa read the Vampiree Affair article where Elissabat gives props to her make-up artist in graciously ambiguous words. Viperine's aunt wanted to know the true Elissabat.

"So, are those fangs real or implants?" Medusa asked, her hair sneaking out from under her sunhat.

Elissabat folded her hands over her crossed knee, "I actually had a reduction by filing because they would dig painfully into my bottom gums."

"Well they are pointy!" Medusa said cheerfully as she offered a smoothie to Elissabat.

Back on Peltros Island Cleo was sharing a beach chair with Deuce.

"I've saved the day. There are two brides and I'm still the ghoul of the hour." Cleo said as her boyfriend rubbed suntan potion on her legs.

"Everyone on this island thinks you put the pocket in pita." Deuce said, kissing her knee with his lips and snakes.

Cleo laughed as he brushed his head away. "Deuce! There are children present."

"I don't care." Deuce said, he knew his little cousins were watching from the trees.

"Okay, let's give the people a show." Cleo said, she pulled his face into a kiss.

The giggling from above was a choir of bells. There was a rustle in the branches, the couple separated in time for Deuce to catch Zoey. The mummy found this fusion's maine, furry tail and beady blue eyes quite precious. She even found it precious when the little brats shot water at her back.

"Revenge!" Cleo yelled, raising an arm at the slithering kids. She pulled a watergun from under the chair and gave it to the gorgon who would defend her honor. "Give them heck."

Deuce happily scoffed at her censoring before running after the kids. They tore past the bride-to-be. Viperine shook her head with a smirk then sat on the chair next to Cleo. Viperine wore a large sunhat, her platinum curls and pink snakes poked fell on her shoulders. The mummy princess was admiring the pink diamond engagement ring Viperine wore on a chain.

"Oh my Ra, that is fabulous. I'm so envious!" Cleo said in respect.

Also on the beach the naga sisters and Euryale set up a picnic buffet. The children, along with Crotalinae and Deuce, battled in watergun teams. It was a very bright day, the water was a pretty shade of green.

"She knows it's my favorite color, I would've been happy with any ring from her but I really, really love that there's a pink diamond!" Viperine admitted. She saw that Cleo was holding in a question by the way she kept looking at the ring.

"I gave her a fang-ring from my grandmother Keto." Viperine told her friend. She took out a picture of it on her phone. The fang was black but in the light it was an amber color. It looked like moving lava in the still snapshot.

"Now that's epic." Cleo said as she took the phone from Viperine. The way she held it was over her other hand's ring finger.

The pinkish gorgon looked at the beach then back at Cleo. "Cleo, wedding are very romantic and wonderful and I hope mine isn't trapping you into thinking about..."

"Oh Viperine," Cleo chuckled, "Don't worry there will be a great divide of time from this lovely wedding and the culture shaking event of my big day."

"Es la caña, know you how close you and the pija are so I have to ask. We're taking his ring-boy suit and giving it to Zeta for tomorrow." Viperine said, holding the pink diamond to her scaled chest.

"That's adorable." The mummy said. She laid against the chair and noticed Ellie was sitting there too.

"Oh, hello Ellie." Cleo said and then showed Ellie all the trophies and events she went to at Monster High.

"Can I go there?" Ellie asked, her snakes' eyes were shiny and black.

Cleo liked the enthusiasm and said, "When you're older. I'll be gone by then but I'm sure the school will still be there. You can keep it amazing and continue my legacy."

The mummy princess held the child's chin in the tips of her hand. Ellie felt special to have a princess for a friend. Cleo though the lines left in the sand from her tail were the cutest thing. The two laughed at the beach rivalry going down on the shore. They watched the water shine blue and swirl into a rainbow whirlpool. The glowing rippling waves became a tornado of aqua and coral. Everyone on the island was staring at the tornado as it became a giant mer-woman.  
She held out her foam-blue arms, her magenta hair rained down her back like a waterfall.

"Greetings, I am Posea of Olympus." She said, her eyes shining white while a beautiful smile, "I am here to deliver a gift to the Gorgon wedding."

Cleo lifted her sunglasses. "Olympus? Like the godly kind of people?"

The sea goddess shrunk down to the fellow monsters' sizes. "Yes, in fact, old friends of the Gorgon Sisters."

If Euryale still had hair it would've hissed in protest. "That's a stretch."

"Ma, let me whip her to the curb." Tai-Pan asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Muffin-cake, we respect the gods when they are close." Euryale said, stroking her daughter's snakes to calm.

"Viperine Gorgon!" Posea announced, shaking every fish in the Afrantic. "This is for you."

"Ohh! Divine presents! The best kind!" Cleo said, Ellie matched her smug expression.

The sand sank as a watery path carved through the beach to Viperine. Posea slid through the crevasse, her bottom half was a tower of coral that grew as she moved, leaving a path of shinning sea vegetation behind her. The kids wanted to touch it but their teenage cousins held them back. In Posea's hands was a present wrapped in seaweed.

"Oh my dad, you are gorgeous." Posea said to Viperine, "You take after your mom. That makes sense, I take after my mom too. Well, don't we all?"

"Gracias." Viperine said as she unwrapped the gift. She noticed Posea was very excited, her hands were curled and she had the goofiest grin on her face. She seemed very familiar but it was a mystery how.

Cleo stared at the shark-eye shell necklace. There were thousands of cheap replicas but with this guest being a goddess Cleo knew there was a special power in the token.

"Give it a squeeze. It'll wow you there." Posea said, her eyes turned a glistening greenish-yellow.

Viperine did so and nothing happened with the shell. Posea made a sour face then fluttered her hands to say 'try again'. The albino gorgon held the shell to her heart and made a wish. Zero change.

"Gracias, your majesty." Viperine said, she planned on giving it to her cousin Nia the sea-snake.

The Sea Goddess' face dropped, "Oh this isn't right. It was suppose to do more."

"Is there an instruction manual?" Ellie and Cleo asked at the same time. Cleo patted her slithering hair in affection.

"Yes, well, the simple answer is you need to be my sister and it'd be like wow." Posea admitted, taking Viperine's hand.

"Oh no, no, no, no." Viperine said.

"Oh yes, yes, yes, yes! I'd love to be close friends with a goddess!" Cleo said, her eyes sparkling on the wonder glowing around Posea.

"Viperine, I know this is a shock. It was a shock to me, I hadn't known you existed until word of a Gorgon wedding got to Olympus. Seeing the look in my father's eye at the mention of the name and then seeing this," Posea took out a shell that flipped out to reveal a phone. There was a picture of a vase. On the vase was a painting in simple black illustrations of a couple. "The man there is a my father Poseidon."

"Oh my Ra." Cleo said, a hand to her mouth.

"Yes, I know, crazy to assume but my father is a, well, frankly a slut. And the woman next to him is-"

"My tia Medusa." Viperine said, her snakes dropped their jaws.

Posea titled her head. "Oh, are you sure, well you would be she's your tia. I think that means auntie, but then the woman is someone else."

Deuce walked up and asked, "So, we're not getting fish tomorrow or we are?"

"Deucey, your mother is about to be in a scandal with a god." Cleo said standing up, "And it's the best thing to ever happen to us!"

"What?" Deuce asked, he noticed the mer-chick was looking up at him.

Posea's lip was trembling. She laced her fingers together, grabbed the shell from Viperine then threw it to Deuce. He caught it and the shell transformed into a golden trident.

"My brother." Posea said, she held her arms out in welcoming of a hug.

"Uhh, no thanks." Deuce said, he gave the trident to her then walked away. His ghoulfriend's jaw dropped and her eyes hit the clouds.

"Deuce!" Cleo yelled as she followed behind him.

Ellie patted Posea's arm, the greens on her skin was drooping in depression.

Deuce was in his family kitchen chopping onions. Cleo was about to burst out of her wrappings.

"Medusesus Chrysaor Gorgon, what is the matter with you?!" The mummy asked in a building rage.

The male gorgon pointed a knife at her, "Who let that slip? They need to pay."

Cleo pushed the knife tip away with her index nail. "My sister earned my distaste over years of contact. You just met the ghoul! Did you noticed she was a goddess?"

"I don't wanna talk about this." Deuce said, mincing the onions into shreds. "It's complicated."

Cleo blew at the onions, it blew away like dust particles. "Talk."

Deuce put down the knife and leaned on the kitchen island. The mummy waited and heard nothing. She went up to him and rubbed his back.

"You've told me before your father is a selfish bastard who's only visited you once in your whole unlife. I hate the demon for hurting you. Even knowing he's a god, a literal god, I would never worship him. Even if he was the last god to exist I'd sooner worship a cat." Cleo said with disgust on her tongue.

"Cleo, when I look at her I..." Deuce sighed deeper, "It reminds me that Poseidon is fine without me. He has a life and it's fine."

"Oh, Deucey. Despite all that, I don't see malice in that ghoul's eyes. I see a ghoul who just discovered she has family." Cleo said, her finger had a green snake twist around. Deuce frowned. Cleo hugged him, she wished she could bandage up all the feels.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. She did give V-Card a nice gift." Deuce said.

"Yes, that's a nice start. Can you imagine what goodies she'd share with the sweetling brother she's desperate to win over?" Cleo asked, a glint sparkled in her eyes. "Cool new toys, chariots over the sun, parties on clouds. Thank Ghoulia for telling me about the epics of your culture."

"Cleo, Babe, am I getting the hint you want to exploit the new sister?" Deuce asked, he embraced her by smashing their hips together.

The mummy traced his frame with her hands. "'Exploit' is an ugly word. We're giving her an opportunity to earn our love."

The gorgon pressed her back and leaned down for his snake-hawk to lick her flat black bangs. "Good luck to her, my heart's been bought already."


	7. Foam

The Vampire Council would travel to Caligronia by their Queen's demand. They didn't like it, the place was too sunny and post-colonial. They didn't love seeing her come to their Transylvania doorsteps with Medusa and Stheno, two monsters who supported the werewolves during the Twilight-Civil War. The issue was Queen Elissabat was betrothed to a gorgon daughter and wanted that recognized by the council in the highest respect.

"General, you were magnificent." Elissabat said as the three women sat in the Batov Pub.

Her fiancé's mother said, "Call me Stheno."

"Stheno." Elissabat pronounced slowly with a lemony-sweet taste on her fangs. "A eloquent debate about common sense and resistance of devolution. My blood, I feel it zinging!"

"Despite the old days I really don't like violence all that much." Stheno said, taking a mug of Silver Moon down the hatch.

"I know now! You probably guessed I was nervous about meeting you after the legends of the Twilight Wars." Elissabat admitted.

"But still you asked me for my girl's hand and her other fine parts." Stheno said, her reddish-black snakes licking the falling drips of drink.

Elissabat's violet eyes hazed over. "Yes, for her we went to those heathens and collectively wrote down names."

The vampire hiccupped and Medusa laughed.

"Oh my bubbly light weight needs more bubbly. Well, we've got to do your bachelorette party right!" Medusa said, her yellowish snakes bouncing to the ceiling.

"Thank you dearly, but I want to be with my darling more than anything else. We should get on the boat and-"

Medusa's snakes crossed into Xs. "You have the rest of your immortality to be with Vipey, give these old broads an hour or two of stories before we shackle her into your coffin."

Stheno and Elissabat looked uncomfortable at the idea of a minute of wild hijinks. 

"No, no, this will be fun! Sister, what is something Rogelio wouldn't let you do?" Medusa asked.

"Nothing really, his wiggly fingers can barely crack an egg. I love that string bean." A lightbulb went off in Stheno's head, "He's gonna want a t-shirt or something from here. Be right back."

"Viperine is always saying how much she hopes we grow old like her mother and father, old romantics they are. Why haven't they been married?" Elissabat asked.

"My sister will tell you they forgot but I think the truth is the ceremony just isn't her thing. During the other girls' weddings she showed up and that was all. For her baby she had to help because while Viperine is very smart she can get lost in her own head."

"It's a magical place to be, time fades away with her. I like that about being with her."

Medusa smiled and showed her long teeth. "That's good, because if you were to ever hurt her you know that the family would cause you to suffer for a very, very long time."

"Condition accepted." Elissabat said sipping down a red sweet and iron hot. "I love that woman. So much."

"I do too, she's my niche-niece. She gave me reason to live." Medusa said while asking the bartender for two more drinks. "When Crotalinae was hatched I wasn't as excited as I should've been. I was depressed. I was that special kind of immortal depressed. I wasn't as cool anymore and I wasn't as famous as I use to be, I didn't have my own babies and the babies I was borrowing were growing up. And I couldn't share that with my big sister who's always been there for me, I couldn't share her joy of becoming a mother. I hated myself for that. "

Medusa's snakes slithered down from her bun to rub against her face. "Gods, it wasn't the hip depressed kids these days each grab like candy, I felt absolutely alone. And then, not like a cure but an ice drink after a trip through the desert, I held Viperine in my arms. I had to take care of her because her family was going through something difficult and I had the time and space. She fit right in arms like they were sculpted for her. She was so pale we were worried she was sick, but then we learned better." Medusa sighed and smiled. "I still have the baby hairs she cut. They're the tiniest skeletons in a shoebox."

Elissabat took a breath in. "Could you show me one day?"

Medusa put her hand on Elissabat's, "Sure, but first show me the sexy pics you two have kept out of the blogs and magazines. I wanna see my ghoul working it."

Back on Peltros Island Euryale was looking over her daughters and nephew as they prepared dinner. The kitchen was crowded thought it was very easy for the sisters to slither over one another. Deuce, the legged gorgon, was use to stepping around his cousins. No one lost beat while carrying and throwing meat, vegetables, oil bottles and cheeses.

"Congrats, dude, I have to say Cleo is pretty charming." Tai-Pan said while rubbing the lamb. "Your kids will be picked for every team on the playground."

"Dude, really!" Kraitti said, holding a ladle in her hand. "With Cleo's bright eyes and wit those babies will be our next doctors. Maybe presidents."

Euryale began to sob and ran to hug her nephew. "I didn't think you'd find anyone as beautiful as you, but you diiiiiiid! I only hope they get the family chin." She said while squishing his face in her fingers.

Daboia rolled her eyes. "Leave the dude alone, he's got enough on his mind with the new half-sister so we don't need to talk about wedlock and prom-babies right now."

"Oh yeah, what do we do about the over-grown-sea-weed?" Kraitti asked, her wavy hair moving out of their pompadour shape.

"Girls! She is a whole monster not a half. And she is god-ess of Greece and our guest! And family!" Euryale reminded her offspring.

"Aunt E, she's a stranger." Deuce said before getting a tug on his hair.

"She is family. And until I say different we are all going to love her like she's been here all along. I grant you, it's not as easy as Cleo." Euryale said then pinched Deuce's cheek. "For the first time I'm happy the attempts to make you gay failed."

"Huh, forgot about that." Deuce said while he rolled rice.

Cleo and Posea looked at photo albums with Viperine. "He was my walking doll when we were kids. He never fought me putting make-up in him, he'd just run into mud and ruin it."

"Awww." Cleo said while snapping pictures of little-boy-Deuce with her iCoffin. "And then you put makeup on everyone until it led you to your true love, Veronica VonVamp."

"Elissabat." Viperine corrected.

"Right, the real royal. Oh my Ra, this family has prestige falling out the windows." Cleo said, her legs kicking. 

The two legged monsters were sitting on the patio swing while Posea sat on a seashell seat she'd made. The children were examining the coral trail she left through the garden. Her 'tail' left aquatic vegetation everywhere she went. Posea was a living garden and Cleo loved to garden only the most beautiful blooms.

Posea narrowed her eyes at Cleo. "You really like titles, don't cha, Ms. Xeno?"

"Petnames already? Okay, how bout I call you 'Nessie'?" Cleo suggested.

Posea raised a magenta eyebrow. "Why?"

"I was thinking 'New Sister' and it's water themed." Cleo explained.

"Fresh-water." Posea scoffed.

"Nuance." Cleo said, it was fun joking with her new-almost-in-law. "It's such a treat to meet you on this big weekend. Deuce had always wanted more family."

"I'm going to call Elissabat." Viperine said, concerned that the sun was setting and her fiancée wasn't back yet.

"He has so much already," Cleo said as she waved to the pre-teens taking photos with Posea. "It's funny to me because my family didn't allow cousins, Daddy called them 'Throne-Thieves'."

"How does this smell to you?" Tai-Pan asked as she held up a spoon.

Deuce leaned over and shot his tongue over the spoon. "Needs less salt."

Tai-Pan let her tongue vibrate over the spoon. "Agreed."

Posea stood up and looked at the open balcony. "Cleo, let's have a talk, goddess to-"

"You can say it, goddess to princess-goddess." The mummy princess said.

"Right." Posea said slowly.

The ocean had green waves. Maybe it was blue underneath but Cleo thought everything about Poseidon/ Deuce's home was made of emeralds.

"Your family has done wonders with this sea. I mean, my family did wonders with the sun so when the horizon brings the two together I think-" Cleo says as her hand lightly glides in the air then closes like a trap, "That's like me and Deuce. Perfect together."

"I'm sorry, you know Apollo?"

Cleo pressed against the balcony. "Hello, I'm a daughter of Ra. I mean, a few generations down but you what they say about being 'in the blood'."

"I've certainly heard you say a lot about blood and titles since I got here." Posea said then thought, and you are not hooking my brother as bait to Olympus. "You know, if there's anything you want from my Papa's vault you can just ask."

Cleo's blue eyes opened wide. "Oh thank you! And vise versa, Nessie."

"Oh, I'd like to vise your versa, Xeno." Posea said as she stroked Cleo's bandaged arm. Her blue, fishy arm was rubbery and cold on the warm-blooded mummy. "Get you into my fifty thousand leagues. Where there's the biggest treasure in the world."

"Oh my Ra." Cleo looked Posea in her sunset green eyes. "I've done it again. Damn my irresistibility!"

"What?" Posea asked in a deadpan.

Cleo back away and put a hand to her forehead, "My boyfriend's sister! In love with me after twenty minutes. Why does this always happen to me?"

Posea looked over her shoulder then back at Cleo. "Right, yeah, I like your....clams."

The mummy stepped forward and took Posea's rubbery blue hand.

"Posea, you are lovely in that ornamental aquarium way but we could never have a three-way with your brother." Cleo said.

Posea shivered in disgust. "Son of a Titan. I mean, you'd choose Medusesus even if I offered you..." Posea covered Cleo's hand with her other cold fingers, "The world on a silver platter?"

"Well, first I'd prefer gold." Cleo said with an index finger high.

The sea goddess didn't roll her eyes, test her for your brother's sake.

"But all that couldn't match Deuce." Cleo said, taking her hand away from Posea.

The magenta-haired goddess bobbled her head. "I have mixed feelings about this-"

Posea then became a stone statue.

The mummy spread a wide smile. "He's adorable when he's jealous."

She thought he looked extra cute with the apron on. Deuce stormed over, put an arm around Cleo, then said to the statue, "You are too much like him."

The stone began to crack with rainbow light shinning through. Posea shook off the rubble and her eyes glowed like the sun behind her.

"I have his nautical talents and left-hand and you have his nose and bad temper!" Posea said, she then lowered her glow. "But please, brother-"

"You don't get to call me that." Deuce interrupted.

Cleo put her hand on his apron. "Deuce, in her defense I am gorgeous."

"Just leave." Deuce said to Posea.

"This is my paternal half-brother's maternal first cousin's wedding! In Greek you know that would make me a bridesmaid!" Posea said, her coral growing faster around the balcony.

"Dude, you're not my family!" Deuce said, his snakes showing their fangs. "Just. Go!"

"Deuce!" Cleo pleaded, putting herself between him and the goddess. Posea heard the words and felt the oceans waves beat against the cliffs.

"Because I am, I will respect your wish." Posea said as she melted off the balcony. Cleo watched her become a pile of kelp that fell of the side and into the water.

The mummy looked her boyfriend's stubborn grimace. She put a hand on his cheek. "Deuce, we all want to kick our sisters in the shins and bury them under a pyramid but we don't actually go through with it."

She saw he was already regretting his fit. He put his hands through his snake-hawk and looked down. "I feel bad about that."

"As you should," She said as she bent under his chin and looked him in the sunglasses, "The good news is you are an excellent beggar and worth the emotional defrosting."

"Cleo," He whined as she hugged his head on her shoulder. "This is all to muuuch."

The mummy hushed him and put a finger on his nose, "My love, I will fix this."


	8. Haunted Cabbage Patch

Viperine's eyes were burning on the clock that didn't tick. She didn't want time to pass because then someone would be late. Stupid karma! For the first time in her life she wasn't the late one. Her precious Elissabat was suppose to marry her in five hours. Elissabat couldn't be late! She couldn't not be with her love!

"Mama would eat a shark before a shark would eat her my bae. So where are they?" Viperine said, pulling on her blonde hair and pink snakes. Her wedding dress was on the dressmaker and she barely cared that the second-cousins were playing with her expensive makeup kit.

Kraitti wrapped her tail around Viperine, tight and snug.

"Baby, listen to me." The hooded naga said.

Viperine began to gag as her cousin crushed her lungs.

"You need to breathe and remember the family is here for you. I skipped an appointment with a hypochondriac mom who thinks her offspring is allergic to everything! Every week she schedules to check that little bubble boy's levels. That fool is covering my babies' private school tuition." Kraitti laughed and squinted her black eyes.

Viperine's snakes began whining for air.

"Oh, so skinny," Kraitti said as she uncoiled, "you use to be able to handle a squeeze. We are a family of muscles!"

The mutters in Spanish was all Greek to the Greek-Indian naga-gorgon but she picked out the words 'family', 'hammer', 'nail' and perhaps 'glue'. Viperine caught the air and felt like a tent propping back up.

"Viperine, eat something." Kraitti said, holding up a plate full of bonda.

The Greek-Spanish ghoul didn't like fighting so she took a snack from her cousin. The bonda was hotter than her parents' cooking but still had that extra helping of nutmeg.

"They'll be here any minute." The pediatrician in the hoodie said.  
In Medusa's bedroom Cleo dangling a crystal over a world map to find Posea.

"Cleo, I totally trust you but I don't trust my sister not to want to unwrap your bandages." Deuce said.

The mummy sighed, "Deucey, you two need another chance. My sister is evil incarnate so I can't personally understand sibling bonds however Clawdeen and Lagoona have the best times with their sisters. I want that for you, and by extension me."

Deuce hugged his ghoulfriend, his snakes licking the top of her head. "For you, okay."

The crystal landed on an island chain not too far from island.

"There she is." Cleo said with high chin.

"Hey, cuz." Deuce said.

Crotalinae's quiet appearance startled Cleo.

"Mama, your Mama and the bride aren't back yet. The wedding is doomed." Crotailnae said, reminding Cleo somehow of a snowman.

"Dude, the moms knows how to sail. I'm not worried." The green-snaked boy said.  
The black-braided ghoul stared at the MH students with a stale expression.

"Though they said they'd be back by now." Deuce admitted.

Cleo held up her hands. "Alright, I'll add them to the list."

On the bottom of the sea Posea was collecting plastics. She didn't understand why land-creatures needed so many straws and coffee lids. If she were like her father she would send tsunamis and hurricanes at random land cities as threats- these threats never helped their seas. Monsters needed education instead torment.

Oh, I'm not too far from Dad after what I did today. Hitting on a land-princess! For my land-brother! Who hates me now. I curse you plastic and feelings! Posea thought as she grew thirty-feet-tall and dug out the bottles and nets choking her ecosystem.

"Hellloooo!"

Posea's magic arms stiffened as the land-princess' voice creeped into the waves. The goddess looked down at a triangular bubble on the sand.

"Oh shrimp." Posea said as she morphed down to the bubble's size. Posea gasped, "Brother! Welcome home."

Deuce wanted to say the sea would never be his home. He didn't because his resentment faded when he saw the genuine feels in his sister's eyes. He leaned on Cleo holding his arm.

"May I just say what lovely work you do with your little plants." The mummy princess said.

"Well, thank you. Thank you both for coming. I would've been kicking myself in the tailfin forever if I couldn't see you again." Posea said, she wished she could turn them into dolphins and they just have a cuddle party.

"Uh-huh." Deuce said, he wanted to be nice but it felt forced.

"What I mean, Deuce, is I want only friendship from the both of you. Please let me earn that." Posea said, "I know I started out rough with-"

"Find my Mom, aunt and cousin-bride." Posea's brother asked. "V-Card will be bummed if they don't show up."

Posea perked up, "Easy."

The sea-goddess raised her arms, the light behind her became rainbows. Seaweed grew tree-thick above the youths. They twisted into a cocoon, the crushing noises gathered sea nymphs to Posea's side. The tiny water imps chirped and sang like Corn Children; a children's choir that Frankie hosted during winter holidays.  
From out of the Manny-Taur-size cocoon came out 3 sea monsters. A giant black angel fish-woman, a petite moor-goldfish-like mermaid and a turtle-like woman with sunglasses.

"Dude, wrong family." Deuce said.

Cleo looked closer at them. "Wait a minute."

The angel-fish had her big arm around the turtleish one then her arm around the moor-maid. The moor-maid had hazy eyes.

"One more time, ghouls." Elissabat said, then they started kicking their tails out.

"That's not how I do the can-can." Stheno said, realizing her legs were now a tail. Her black snakes had gils she noticed.

"Mash potatoes!" Medusa said, her arms now flippers.

Deuce's eyebrows shut up. "Mom?"

"Moro Mou! My boy, my eyes." Medusa said as she hugged the bubble. Her hair started kissing the barrier.

Cleo wasn't scared, she knew her Mummy Magic made the bubble impenetrable. "Had a good time, Maddy?"

"Cleo! my Tigerlily, we had a blast! We were sailing and dancing and now we're fish-ees! Isn't life funny?" Medusa said, her sunglasses a bit askew.

"I told my Viperine I didn't need a bachlorette party but these ladies." Elissabat giggled.

"Hey." Stheno said, pointing at her future-daughter-in-law.

"Hey!" Elissabat said, at her new Mama.

"Hey!" They said together, very loudly. It was actually an average conversation tone but for those particular monsters it was big.

Medusa raised her arms. "Opa! Whose's this?"

Posea waved at Medusa with a big grin on her face.

"Maddy, don't freak, but she's Deuce's sister from you-know-who." Cleo explained.

"Oh my, you're just like I always imagined!" Medusa said, taking Posea's face in her hands. "You are how I imagined my child would look like if she had taken after her father. But a million times prettier!"

"Thank you, Lady Gorgon, I can see why my father based the octopus on you." Posea said, happy to hug her almost-mom.

"Keep it in your coral, dude." Deuce warned.  
Medusa whipped around to wag her finger. "Boy, I hatched you with more manners than that!"

"We were making such progress." Cleo said, a hand to her forehead.

"What, she macks on my ghoul then my Moms? No way, that's too much tragedy in one weekend!" Deuce said putting his foot down.

"Why would she mack on Cleo? She clearly prefers the sea-cucumber to the clam." Medusa stated.

Posea flustered, "Um, you have me mistaken Lady Gorgon."

"Yes, I transcend all natures." The Mummy princess said.

"A mother knows everything." Medusa said sagely, "Now why are you faking it?"  
Deuce scoffed, "I thought you knew everything."

Medusa looked up to surface, "Hera, give me strength. Posea?"

"Well..." Posea began.

"I'm irresistible, can we just leave it at that?" Cleo said.

Posea rolled her eyes. "Barnacles! I was trying to woo the Scorpion Princess away from my brother because she didn't seem worthy."

Cleo made a choking noise and grabbed her chest. The youngest gorgon rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, that changes some things." He admitted.

"Iago!" The mummy screamed, she raised her idol and the pyramid bubble disappeared.

Medusa turned to the rest of the company, "We'll see them at the wedding."

"Marriage!" Elissabat-the-moor-fish yelled. "Opa!"

Posea delivered the gorgons and vampire by the sea shore. They were covered in grim but returned to their original monster forms. Viperine was pacing on the beach with Crotalinae. Despite the slime and plastic trash covering Elissabat Viperine kissed her love with all the passion of a hundred brides.

The nymphs decorated the beach divinely. Stheno and Rogelio walked Viperine down the aisle to Elissabat. The Vampire Queen was wearing a blood red wedding dress.

Each of the cousins had their makeup done by the patient Viperine who did herself and her bride at the very last hour. They were naturally vibrant. Croatilnae was the Maid-of-Horror. Elissabat had a Vampiric Court representative in Harper Quince as her Best-Monster. C.A Cupid preformed their ceremony.

"I can't even be excited to know Cupid is your cousin I'm so mad." Cleo whispered as she and Deuce sat on Elissabat's side. Posea was sitting with Deuce's Mom and Aunt Euryale.

"You look great, babe. I know the brides are jealous." Deuce whispered.

She didn't tell him jealousy and envy were different. Jealousy was for exes and envy was for everyone else who looked at Cleo's wonderful personality. Cleo felt tremendous envy at Viperine and Elissabat's union. They had flower tiaras connecting by flower strings. They were very different monsters from worlds apart then they collided into one pure, majestic power-couple. The Gorgons already loved Elissabat; the vampire was part of the family. They welcomed openly, the fusion children were proof, and Cleo was amazed by their capability to love.  
The mummy put her arm around Deuce's. He touched her fingers tenderly as they watched Elissabat and Viperine walk around Cupid's pearl table. Cupid announced them wives in unlife and in sickness. Viperine bent down to kiss her wife, Elissabat's glowing face had a single tear run down. The crowd stood up and cheered.  
The nymphs' reception was fangtastic. The food was devilishly good and the children shrieked like mad as Casta Fierce floated down with Catty Noir. They shared a broom stick and sang for the new wives' first dance.  
The original Gorgon sisters shared a cake at their table.

Stheno said between bites, "Crotailnae got into grad school," she waited for her sisters to stop screaming, "she didn't wanna step on Vipey's big day."

Euryale missed her snakes then, they would extend all the kisses she wanted to give. "Well done, Sister."

"Yeah, dumb luck they turned out good." Stheno said as she watched her married daughter dance.

Euryale and Medusa booed the comment.

"Now we have to plan the next wedding, I'll be damned if we let the in-laws have any scream in how we plan." Euryale said, looking at Medusa. Medusa looked at her son and his ghoulfriend at their table.

"Oh my Ra, I'm going to roll out of here while you'll have lost five pounds." Cleo accused. She could not stop eating the delish cakes the Gorgons had made that morning.

Deuce smirked, he was about to ask her to dance when Posea came up.

"May I have this dance?" Posea asked her brother.

Cleo stood up and took her moist-webbed hands. "Yes, I have some things to say to you."

Posea didn't argue. She raised her arms above her head and made her hands pinchers. She was ready for the Sebastian dance.

"I'll lead." The Egyptian princess said as she grabbed Posea's waist and hand. Posea's tail still left vegetation as where her tail touched so the two ghouls stayed to the side of the dance floor.

"I see I have a lot to learn about the surface world." Posea said, her words sank like a whirlpool.

"First off, would you look at the diamonds I'm wearing." Cleo pointed to the tiny studs.

Posea preferred aquamarine but said, "They're nice."

"They are the smallest diamonds I own and I wear them every day because they're from your brother. I got a second piercing just for them." Cleo stated proudly.

"I get it, and I apologize for insulting you." Posea said, "Blood or not, I need to research more before calling him brother."

"And you need learn a lot more before calling me sister." Cleo said as she dipped Posea.

Posea's hair touched the floor. "I'll give you a text on Facehook."

Deuce and his mom danced while they watched the ghouls. The tempo changed from waltz to funky.

"Cracks mended. I hope my butterscotch grandbabies are as compassionate as that old broad. When will you do the right thing and-"

"No, Mom. We wanna get other stuff done first." Deuce interrupted, doing the haunted-cabbage-patch.

Medusa sighed as she twerked. "I love that girl. If she wasn't the love of the life to the love of my life I'd still want her around."

"Yeah, Cleo's cute." Deuce said. He wasn't scared when Medusa's thick serpents hissed at his face.

"Do not tumble my rocks, boy, you can choose what to do with your own life and I'll keep my fangs shut but please tell me you know a good ghoul when you see her." Medusa said as they mirrored a shoulder-elbow-explosion with fingers dance.

"Real talk?" Deuce said as shimmied with his mother, "She's the one."

Medusa screamed as she grabbed her son's head and began kissing him. Deuce protested and tried to pull away but he was caught in her anaconda grip.

During the Father Daughter Dance, Rogelio danced with his new daughter-in-law. Viperine's snake wiped the single tear that ran down her cheek. 

"Mama, this was better than a dream." Viperine said, kissing her mother's calloused hand.

"Yeah, you are." Stheno said, her thumb running over her married daughter's ring. Rogelio climbed over Stheno's shoulder with his clingy fingers and teary red eyes.

"Mi vida, have you told you the story about why your mother won't marry me?"

"No, Papa." Viperine lied, Elissabat was standing next to her (forever) and it was time she heard the story (for the first time).

"I asked Stheno to marry me a week after we met, she broke off my tail and said no. Since then I've lost count how many times I've asked her."

Stheno's black-red snakes shook their heads at her ankles. "No you haven't." Stheno said.

"No I haven't, thirty-nine times in twenty years-"

"Twenty-three, or whatever." Stheno put in.

Rogelio swooshed his scaly head up and down , "Your mama likes to see me suffer! I offer her the stars the above and she keeps rejecting me!"

Stheno pulled two presents out of her satchel. "Ro, get me a drink in this. Oh, and one for yourself if you wanna."

Rogelio's red eyes examined the skull-mugs. "You do care." He whispered as he hugged her meaty body.

"Rogelio Tiliqua Lacertilia, there are....people here." Stheno said through pressed lips.

Crotalinae came from behind and hugged Stheno as well. "Family warmth fills our hearts."

Viperine's fangs went over her lips in a goofy smile. Her new wife smirked and grabbed their gloved hands together, "Family hug."

Cousin Nicki took many pictures of her squirming great-aunt under the hug attack. The gooey expression of public affection was a cute sort of torture for the general.

Cleo watched the rest of the party from a top pillar with Ellie sleeping in her arms. She saw Ellie's mom whisper into her boyfriend ear. They laughed, everyone near them did because their smiles were infectious.

"I think I'm going to like it here." Cleo said as her satin dress collar was stained with food and lipstick kisses.

At the double bouquet toss Euryale caught both flower arrangements. She ran in front of her granddaughters as if to shield them from fire. With both bouquets she shrugged and said she'd just thought of dating again.


End file.
